Most people, when they first sit down with us, have a version of the same thought in their heads: the hearse, the crematorium, the hymn, the eulogy, the sandwiches. It's the template most of us grew up with, and there's nothing wrong with it. But it is just one option among many, and for a lot of families, it isn't quite the right fit.
Over more than 230 years of arranging funerals in North London, we've helped families create send-offs that looked nothing like the standard format, and were all the more meaningful for it. A ceremony held in a garden. A coffin decorated by grandchildren the evening before. A procession led by a brass band through the streets of Camden. A service with no religious content at all, built entirely around the words of friends and a playlist that made people laugh and cry in equal measure.
The most important thing we tell every family is this: there is no rule book. The only question is what would feel right for the person you've lost, and for the people who loved them.
This article is for anyone who wants to think a little differently about what a funeral ceremony can be.
Rethinking the venue
The crematorium or place of worship is the default, and it works well for many families. But it isn't a requirement. Funerals and memorial services can take place in a remarkably wide range of settings, and the venue itself can be one of the most powerful acts of personalisation.
We've helped arrange ceremonies in:
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Private gardens and open green spaces
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Social clubs and other community spaces that held real significance for the person
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Theatres and arts venues, particularly for those who worked in or loved the arts
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Woodland settings, often paired with a natural burial
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Community halls and sports clubs
The practical logistics are something we work through with you. Venue choice affects everything from the order of service to how the coffin arrives, but none of that is insurmountable. Our role is to make your vision workable, not to talk you out of it.
"We don't offer a one-size-fits-all package. We take the time to understand what each family needs and help them make informed choices that feel right for them."
One thing worth knowing: if you choose a direct cremation, the cremation itself takes place privately, and the ceremony or celebration of life without the coffin can then happen wherever and whenever feels most appropriate, including weeks later once family has had time to gather.
The ceremony itself: structure, tone, and who leads it
Once you move away from the idea that a funeral must follow a fixed order, a lot becomes possible. The structure of the ceremony is entirely yours to shape.
Celebrant-led and humanist services
For families who want a service that's personal, warm, and free of religious content, a humanist or non-religious ceremony is often the right choice. A celebrant will meet with you in advance, learn about the person who has died, and craft a service that reflects their life, their voice, and the things that mattered to them. There's no template to follow and no language that feels borrowed.
This doesn't mean religious elements are off the table for other families, of course. Many services blend a traditional framework with deeply personal touches. The key is that the ceremony should feel true to the person.
Letting guests take part
One of the most meaningful shifts we've seen in recent years is families moving away from a passive service, where guests sit and listen, towards something more participatory. Some ideas that have worked beautifully:
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A shared memory moment: inviting guests to stand and share a single sentence or short memory, rather than a formal eulogy from one person
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A music contribution: asking attendees in advance to nominate a song that reminds them of the person, then weaving those choices into the service or wake playlist
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A writing station: placing cards and pens at the entrance so guests can write a message before the service begins, to be kept by the family
None of these require elaborate planning. They simply require someone to hold the space for them, which is something a good celebrant or officiant knows how to do.
Tributes that go beyond the lectern
A tribute doesn't have to be a speech. We've seen families honour someone through a performance of a piece of music they loved, a reading from a book they returned to throughout their life, or even a short film put together by friends. If someone can't be there in person, a recorded video tribute shown during the service can be just as powerful as a live reading.
Personalising what people see and experience
The visual and sensory atmosphere of a funeral shapes how people feel from the moment they arrive. These elements are often where the most personal decisions live.
The coffin
Most families don't realise how much flexibility there is here. Beyond the traditional wood veneer, we offer a wide range of coffins including wicker and willow options, painted and decorated designs, and coffins that can be personalised with artwork or imagery. Some families choose to decorate a coffin themselves in the days beforehand, with drawings or messages from children and grandchildren. It becomes something made with love rather than simply chosen from a catalogue.
Flowers and colour
Flowers can reflect a personality as clearly as any spoken tribute. A gardener might be remembered with wildflowers and herbs from their own plot. A passionate football supporter might have a floral arrangement in their club's colours. Families increasingly ask guests to wear a particular colour rather than black, which changes the atmosphere of the room entirely and often feels more true to the person.
Music
There are no rules about what music is appropriate. We've heard everything from Bach to Bowie, from a live folk session to a recording of someone's own voice singing. The music that plays as people enter sets the emotional register of the entire service. It's worth giving it real thought, because the right choice can say more than any eulogy.
A practical idea worth considering: a QR code printed in the order of service that links to a shared playlist. Guests can take the music with them and listen in the weeks that follow.
The arrival
The journey to the venue is itself part of the ceremony. Hearses can come in all shapes and sizes. A horse-drawn hearse remains one of the most distinctive choices a family can make, creating a slow, dignified procession that gives the community a chance to pay their respects. For others, the arrival might involve a guard of honour formed by colleagues, teammates, or fellow members of a club the person belonged to.
After the ceremony: the wake and beyond
The time after the service is often where people relax into remembering. A thoughtfully planned wake or reception can be as personal as the ceremony itself.
Some families serve the person's favourite food or recreate a meal they were known for. Others hold the reception at a place that meant something, a local pub, a sports club, a restaurant they visited every year. Receptions can include live music, photo displays arranged around objects from the person's life, and memory books where guests were asked to write a story rather than simply sign their name.
A tribute table near the entrance is a simple but powerful touch. A fishing rod, a well-worn pair of gardening gloves, a favourite novel left open at a meaningful page. These objects make the person present in the room before anyone has spoken a word.
For families who want to extend remembrance beyond the day itself, there are meaningful options for the dispersal of ashes, from scattering at a place of significance to having ashes incorporated into jewellery.
How we approach bespoke arrangements
We're sometimes asked whether a more creative or non-traditional funeral is harder to arrange. In our experience, the answer is no, provided you're working with a team that genuinely listens.
At Levertons, the same funeral director stays with a family from the first conversation through to the day itself. That continuity matters enormously when the arrangements are personal. It means the person helping you understands the full picture, not just the logistics, and can advocate for what you want at every stage.
We don't have a list of approved options. If a family comes to us with an idea we haven't encountered before, our first instinct is to find a way to make it work. Our bespoke and themed funeral service exists precisely because we believe every life deserves a farewell that reflects it honestly.
The conversations that lead to the most meaningful funerals often start with something simple: tell us about them. What did they love? What made them laugh? Where did they feel most at home? From there, the ceremony tends to find its own shape.
If you're thinking about what a truly personal funeral might look like, we'd welcome that conversation. There's no commitment involved, and no idea is too unusual to explore. You can reach us at any of our North London branches, and we're here whenever you're ready to talk.
